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G.; W. LEVIN.

y UA'NGELING AND DATING STAMP. No. 255,799.A Patented Apr. 4,1882..

UNITED STATES GEORG E lV. LE VIN,

PATENT OFFICE.

or oHIoAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR or ONE-THIRD To w. H.` A. BROWN, or sAMn rLAcn.

oANoi-:LING AND DATING STAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,799, dated April 4, 1882.`

` Application filed July 25, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:`

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LEVIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combination Canceling and Dating Stamps, ot' which the following' is a specitication.

y invention relates to improvements in canceling and dating devices for use upon postal and other stamps, and has for its objects, iirst, to provide a canceling mechanism which will irretrievably mutilate, deface, and cancel stamps upon which it may be used withoutinjuring the envelope or other surface to which the stamp may be aiiixed or the ordinary mailable inclosure; second, to provide a mutilating canceling device, operating in conjunction with a dating device attached thereto, ashereinafter shown and described. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side view, showing all of its parts in vertical section on the plane x x, except the dater b. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the canceler C and dater b. Fig. 3 is a view of the canceler-head C, showing the radial slots a a, in which the mutilating mechanism plays. Fig.4 shows the plate c with its radial Slots g for holdingthe mutilating-feetto their bearings. Figs.5 and 6 are side and end views of the mutilating-ieet, showing their mutilating-teeth Iz.

Similarlettersindicatesimilarpartsthrough'- out the severalviews.

To the frame A, carrying the dater b and canceler C, is xed the standard `T,over which the handle g, carrying plun ger-arm 7c, works.

The mutilating-feet j', provided with cutting-teeth n, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, and having recess m for vertical and lateral bearings, move reciprocally in the radial slots a, a of the canceler-head C and slots q grot the guide-plate e. lThe feet fare beveled at f', as shown, and are also provided with the slot p for the spring l, which works around the outer end of the feet and in the groove p, being provided for the purpose of bringing the feet f back to their normal position after their outward stroke in performing their mutilating function.

The plate e, which is held to the head C, is a guide for and secures the feetfin the radial slots q q, and operates as a central bearing for the workingface of the canceling device.

The ring d, holding the guide-plate e in position, is particularly intended as a bearing for regulating the depth to which the teeth u shall penetrate the stamp in inutil-ating the same.

The manner of operation of my'device is as follows: It being first applied to the inkingpad, the recesses between the teeth n receive and are filled with the ink. A downward stroke of the handle g causes the teeth n to penetrate the postal stamp to as great a depth as the bearing-'face ofthe ring d will allow and the beveled end of the plunger 7c to come in contact with the beveled ends f' of the feetf, driving them (the feet) outwardly in their radial bearings a q for a distance less than the distance longitudinally at which the teeth are cut individually. Through this plowing or mutilating process by the teeth n the ink carried in the recesses between the teeth is deposited in the surfaces so mutilated and readily permeates the broken ber ot' the paper of cutting or mutilatingt'unction, my objectis to avoid cutting entirely from the body of the postal stamp so much of its surface as shall have been plowed up, such portion or portions adhering to the body of the stamp and not clogging up the teeth n, as would be the case were such particles detached.

I have adopted the shape of tooth as shown, considering that such shape will facilitate the matter of' clearing themselves of any possible detached particles of paper in recovering.

The operation ofthe dating device is similar to that ot all datingstamps ot the same character.

It is obvious that the use ot' my mutilating device without ink upon postal stamps is sufcient to so thoroughly mutilate and cancel the same that any attempt at a second use would meet With instant detection; but to insure a more perfect cancellation I prefer to employ ink as an adjunct,which, when permeating the broken ber of the paper, will be very difficult,

if not impossible, to remove by the use ot chemical agents.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to 25 secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a mutilating canceling-stamp, of the head C, provided with radial slots a, plate c, provided with slots q, ring d, feet f, provided with teeth u; spring l, and 3o plunger lo, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a mutilating canceling and dating stamp, of the canceler-head C,V mutilating-feet f, provided with teeth a, and moving reciprocally in suitable radial bear- 35 ingsring d, plate e, plunger 7c,handle g,stand ard T, spring j, and spring l, in conjunction with the dater b, substantially as described.

GEORGE W. LEVIN.

Witnesses:

LoUls DANZIGER, E. DANZIGER. 

